# Eric Gundersen

> Eric Gundersen co-founded Mapbox after building open source tools for international development projects at Development Seed. He led Mapbox as CEO until March 2021, when he moved to board chair and chief strategy officer. His work connects shared geographic data, customizable maps, and software for developers; more recent public appearances describe him as an investor supporting founders in Central and Eastern Europe.

- **Role:** Co-founder and board chair at Mapbox
- **Organizations:** Mapbox, Development Seed
- **Education:** Master’s in International Development, American University, Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and International Relations, American University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Mapbox and served as its CEO for approximately a decade., Helped develop a commercial mapping platform around customizable maps and developer services., Led Mapbox during its 2013, 2015, and 2017 announced financing rounds.

## Career timeline

- **2004** — Started the strategy business that became Development Seed.
- **2009** — Worked in Afghanistan supporting the US State Department and digitizing maps.
- **2010** — Co-founded Mapbox, developed from tools built during consulting projects.
- **2012** — Mapbox Streets launched; Foursquare adopted it for its website maps.
- **2013** — Mapbox announced a $10 million Series A led by Foundry Group.
- **2015** — Mapbox announced a $52.55 million Series B led by DFJ Growth.
- **2017** — Mapbox announced a $164 million Series C led by SoftBank Vision Fund.
- **2021** — Testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee in February; transitioned from CEO to board chair and chief strategy officer in March.
- **2026** — BelTech introduced him as a keynote speaker and an investor interested in founders across Central and Eastern Europe.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Mapbox and served as its CEO for approximately a decade.
- Helped develop a commercial mapping platform around customizable maps and developer services.
- Led Mapbox during its 2013, 2015, and 2017 announced financing rounds.
- Represented Mapbox at a February 2021 congressional hearing on digital competition.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Listed for a September 25 BelTech 4.0 keynote about building Mapbox, distributed teams, product development, and fundraising; described by organizers as an investor supporting founders in Central and Eastern Europe.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/egundersen/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/ericg

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/eric-gundersen
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23